‘Just get out there, do your thing and don’t care if people like it. Art is subjective, you won’t please everyone but that’s ok! There is a lot of rejection and knockbacks in this industry so you have to want “it” more than you’re afraid of ‘it’.’
1. Tell us a bit about yourself? What’s your name? What type of creative are you and where are you based?
Hey babes, my name is Gabby Killick and I’m an actress from London. I’m super passionate about LIVE events and before the pandemic I was organising and participating in weekly shows all over the UK. I’m mostly known for my international touring comedy show “Girlfriend From Hell” and its sequel “The Bitch Is Back” but last summer I wrote a song called “Masturbation in Isolation” that went viral – my mum is less proud of that achievement.
2. What inspires you as a comedian?
My imagination. I love creating theatrical comedy sketches which bring objects to life. I’ll spend time giving a lifeless object a voice, a personality, thinking about what it would say if it could speak, how would it feel. Today, for example, I spent a lot of time today pretending to be a plastic straw. After rehearsals I can tell you the straws are going through a lot. It’s also important you know I wasn’t stoned when I made this discovery.
3. You’re a very physical comedian - as a creative, do you do anything other than comedy?
I’ve always been an actress so comedy to me is about more than making people laugh it’s a performance. I do a lot of shape shifting and transformation on stage so I can play two or sometimes three characters at once. Jumping between different accents, forming new postures or moulding my face in a way that suits the object, animal or people I’m portraying.
I trained as a dancer before I started acting so I’ve always known how to use my body to tell stories and send messages. This is also very helpful in my private life as I’ve never under estimated the importance of body language haha.
4. What made you want to create your own show?
I got fed up waiting for my ‘BIG BREAK’ so I thought F**K this I’m just going write my own show. It meant I wouldn’t have to wait for someone else to give me an opportunity. I needed a platform to showcase my own skillset and even though it meant doing all the work myself it was definitely worth it because I’ve grown as a performer, writer and especially as a business person.
5. How did you grow your show to get to the point where you are today?
Writing and performing the show is the easy and fun part of the process. When I decided to take it on tour and start running my own events that’s when I had to learn the business side of things. For example, how to strike up deals with venues and how to run a successful marketing campaign etc. At first I had no idea what I was doing, so I’d seek advice and guidance from the people around me who I looked up to in business. Luckily for me they were happy to help and answer questions I had.
When I decided to write my own show it was important for me to understand every aspect of what goes into running a successful event. I was never interested in just turning up and performing. It was always important to me to give the audience a memory they can take home and that starts from the moment they walk into the venue long before the show even starts. Creating the atmosphere is everything.
6. What has been your favourite project as a comedian?
I love travelling abroad to do shows. It’s so exciting having a promoter fly me out somewhere to make people laugh in their city. I love exploring new places and finding out what different cultures find funny. Currently in addition to touring all over the UK I’ve taken my show to Spain, Austria, Germany and the US. And I can’t wait to go everywhere else on the map too.
7. What advice would you have for any creatives trying to create and grow their own work?
Just get out there, do your thing and don’t care if people like it. Art is subjective, you won’t please everyone but that’s ok! There is a lot of rejection and knockbacks in this industry so you have to want “it” more than you’re afraid of ‘it’. Start thinking about what could go right rather than worrying about what could go wrong. If you are passionate about your art and put in enough practise you are already winning. Showcasing your work is the fun part!
Include others and ask questions. Surround yourself with talented and hardworking people and take the time to listen to their ideas. Someone could offer a suggestion that you hadn’t thought of and the whole project could reach another level.
Don’t be afraid to be bossy, there’s nothing wrong with having an idea and knowing exactly how you want it to be executed. Just don’t be a bitch while you’re delegating tasks and you’ll get away with it. Someone has to be the leader, so why not you?
8. Do you have any upcoming shows where we can catch your hilarious sets or anywhere we can see any of your work?
I’d love to see you at a LIVE show when we’re out of lock down. I’m organising and performing in an event called LINES – SUPPORT THE ARTS – UNDERGROUND CABARET – in London on July 15th. We are celebrating the best undiscovered talent in comedy, dance, music, poetry, burlesque and more. After a year of shows being cancelled we are all so excited to perform – it’s going to be really special!!
For tickets – https://www.skiddle.com/e/35783746/
Obviously you can follow me on social media too
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gabbykillickperformer/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/gabbykillick
Thanks babes love ya x
To watch Gabbys new Uninstalled series ‘The Apps Can Talk!’ – https://linktr.ee/gabbykillick
Gabby has just released her newest hit ‘Pose’ and is available on Spotify now! To listen – Gabby Killick – Pose
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